media release

Student club kicks off with cultural celebration

Members of a new club at Simon Fraser University hope to grow opportunities for students through melding multiculturalism and entrepreneurship.

The idea behind the SFU Transnational Entrepreneurship and Community Building Association (TECBA) is to help students gain skills that are relevant to cross-cultural entrepreneurship opportunities. The group is working with the private sector in areas of community development and empowerment.

“We hope to bridge the connection between culture and business to inspire others on the power of transnational entrepreneurship,” says student coordinator Justin Chen. “We are seeking entrepreneurial-minded students and alumni who are passionate about community development to join our efforts.

“Our hope is to inspire students who are interested in making a global impact to explore the field of transnational entrepreneurship with role models who are international and local speakers,” Chen adds.

The group is hosting a pair of events this month with a Southeast Asia cultural celebration at SFU Surrey on Sept. 21, in the Westminster Savings Lecture Theatre from 2 – 4 p.m. The event will showcase an array of performing arts featuring traditional costumes from various Southeast Asian cultures.

A conference on entrepreneurship follows at SFU’s Vancouver campus at Harbour Centre on Sept. 28, in the Canfor Policy Room 1600 from 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Speakers will include the Hon. Tim Uppal, Minister of State for Multiculturalism, and Michael Howard of SFU’s School for International Studies, who is mentoring the club.

Both events are free. Reserve tickets here or for more information contact Chen at jxchen@sfu.ca.

Simon Fraser University is Canada's top-ranked comprehensive university and one of the top 50 universities in the world under 50 years old. With campuses in Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey, B.C., SFU engages actively with the community in its research and teaching, delivers almost 150 programs to more than 30,000 students, and has more than 120,000 alumni in 130 countries.